This article reports on an ICE arrest attempt in Sacramento where a man with a long criminal history fled after allegedly trying to strike an officer with his vehicle, examines his prior deportation order and convictions, and lays out concerns about sanctuary policies and public safety raised by the Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement tried to arrest Xa Lee on March 25 in Sacramento, and authorities say the encounter turned dangerous when Lee tried to flee the traffic stop. According to the department, officers deployed tasers during the incident but Lee escaped and remains at large. The event has renewed intense debate about how sanctuary policies and local political rhetoric affect enforcement.
Lee is identified as a Laotian citizen who was already ordered deported by a federal immigration judge in 2010, yet stayed in the country and accumulated a string of criminal convictions. His record, as reported by authorities, includes vehicle theft, stolen property, conspiracy, petty theft, two DUIs, resisting an officer, battery, and felony possession of a firearm. That combination of offenses is exactly the sort of case many officials say should have been resolved long before this confrontation.
During the attempted arrest, an ICE officer was targeted by the vehicle but escaped injury, DHS said. “The officer, thankfully, did not sustain injuries. During the incident, ICE officers deployed their tasers. He fled the scene and remains at large,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. Agencies emphasize that a close call like this could have ended much worse and that frontline officers face increased risks in the field.
DHS also pointed to a wider context: recent events and messaging that, in the agency’s view, encourage resistance to law enforcement. Officials cited webinars and advice aimed at undocumented immigrants that suggested ways to evade federal agents and to report interactions with ICE. From a law and order perspective, messaging that normalizes evasion or obstruction of officers undermines public safety and the rule of law.
Certain elected officials in California and in Congress have publicly called for limiting deportation operations, arguing for protections for undocumented immigrants and criticizing aggressive enforcement. DHS singled out state and local leaders who have repeatedly opposed removal campaigns targeting criminal non-citizens, arguing that such opposition can have real, dangerous consequences. Republicans and supporters of strict enforcement counter that sanctuary setups and political pressure can tie law enforcement hands and leave communities exposed to recidivist criminals.
The department issued strong language aimed at those it sees as contributing to an unsafe environment for immigration agents. “DHS is once again calling on sanctuary politicians, agitators, and the media to turn the temperature down and stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement,” the agency said. That statement reflects a blunt Republican critique: when public officials and influencers murmur or shout resistance, those words can translate into real-world obstruction and danger.
Lawmakers and enforcement leaders argue that consistent application of immigration laws protects citizens and lawful residents by removing repeat offenders from the streets. They say the system is meant to detain, adjudicate, and, where ordered, deport foreign nationals who commit crimes, and that exceptions or delays create loopholes exploited by dangerous individuals. The recent escape of a known fugitive highlights how gaps between court orders and enforcement actions can produce acute hazards.
Local law enforcement and federal agents continue to search for Lee while urging anyone with information to come forward. DHS asked the public to contact the ICE tip line at 866-347-2423 or submit tips online if they know anything about his whereabouts. Tips from citizens can be the difference between a suspect remaining at large and being brought into custody before someone gets hurt.
For those concerned about public safety, the incident is another data point in a larger argument: that policies must make it harder, not easier, for criminals to avoid removal. Republicans pressing this case push for clearer lines, faster coordination, and firmer support for officers doing their jobs in difficult, sometimes violent, circumstances. The goal they keep returning to is straightforward: protect communities by enforcing the law fairly and consistently.
Graduate Student, wife, engaged political and legal writer.